BENGALURU: Kannada actress Harshavardhini Ranya, alias Ranya Rao, who was arrested in a gold smuggling case last year, walked out of Bengaluru Central Prison on Wednesday after the expiry of her one-year preventive detention under the Conservation of Foreign Exchange and Prevention of Smuggling Activities Act, 1974 (COFEPOSA).
Officials of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) had arrested the 33 year old on March 3, 2025, upon her arrival at Kempegowda International Airport from Dubai for allegedly carrying 14.2 kg of foreign-origin gold bars valued at Rs 12.56 crore. Later, officials arrested two more accused in connection with the case.
The probe revealed that the trio were allegedly part of a larger syndicate that smuggled over 100 kg of gold into India between 2024 and 2025.
Last year, the Special Court for Economic Offences granted statutory bail to Ranya and the two others.
However, all three remained in custody after the central agency invoked the COFEPOSA Act.With the expiry of the COFEPOSA detention period, all three accused are now out of preventive custody.